Instrument panel



Aug. 15, 1950 I c. N. SHLENKER INSTRUMENT PANEL Filed Aug. 8, 1949INVENTOR. CH/IFL 5 'N.SHLEA/KER ATTORNEY "ti-tented Aug. 15, 1950INSTRUMENT PANEL Charles N. Shlenker, New York, N. Y., assignor, by memoassignments, to Edwin A. Neugass,

Port Chester, N. Y.

Application August 8, 1949, Serial No. 109,179-

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in panels, particularly foraircraft instruments. It is designed to meet specifications unattainablein other panels, such as, specifications set forth in the United StatesAir Force-Navy Aeronautical specifications.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a panel wherein theengraved characters are sharply defined without glare.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a laminatedpanel built up of transparent and/or translucent and opaque laminationsproducing sharp contrast between the opaque and transparent surfaces.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a panel ofthe above-mentioned type which provides a supplementary source of lightto illuminate dials or other devices superimposed on the panel.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a panel whichhas a high resistance to abrasion.

Various further and more specific objects, features and advantages willclearly appear from the detailed description given below taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of thisspecification and illustrate merely by way of example one embodiment ofthe device of the invention.

The invention consists in such novel features, arrangements andcombinations of parts as may be shownand described in connection withthe apparatus herein disclosed by way of example only and asillustrative of a preferred embodiment.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a panel according to the invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view through the light source taken online 4-4 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of a lamp andits housing employable in the invention.

In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identifiedby specific names for convenience, but such names are intended to be asgeneric in their application to similar parts as the art will permit.Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures ofthe drawing.

Referring now to the drawing:

In a preferred aspect of the invention, the body of the panel comprisesa sheet of clear.

transparent light-transmitting material, preferably plastic, such as,for example, methyl methacrylate laminated between two relatively thinsheets or layers of translucent material, preferably plastic, such as,for example, cellulose acetate. This three-layer lamination is laminatedbetween two sheets or layers of suitable opaque material, preferablyplastic, such as, for example, vinyl having preferably a matte finish.

The lamination may be performed by coating the surface of the sheets orlayers with an adhesive, and the superposed layers or sandwich thenpassed through a set of rolls, which will squeeze out any excessadhesive, disperse it uniformly over the entire area, and help it tobond the layers together. Another method, and the preferred one, is toplace the acrylic sheet in a press with heated platens, between twosheets of cellulose acetate, and bond the three pieces together by meansof heat and pressure. This lamination is then placed in the pressbetween two sheets of vinyl, and a new lamination is made by applicationof heat and pressure. Thus, the final panel body will consist of fivelayers of plastic material bonded together.

The panel body is then fabricated to suitable size and shape, with theproper drilled holes or other machine. work as required. The material iseasily fabricated 'by standard machine tools. The last machiningoperation, preferably, is the engraving of all required designations. Ifthe engraving tool is not allowed to penetrate the material deeper thanthe first two layers of material, light that is transmitted through theclear acrylic layer will in turn illuminate any dial, scale or otherpart placed over it. If, however, the engraving is allowed to be onlydeep enough to expose the translucent acetate, then a clear outline ofthe engraving, free from glare, will result. Illumination of the panelcan be provided by means of suitable panel lights, which are insertedinto holes drilled through the panel material. The clear or transparentlayer in the center of the laminated panel will transmit the light inall directions, permitting it to be seen on the surface, in accordancewith the engraving. All exposed edges, including the internal walls ofthe holes not used for light transmission, are coated with a preferably,dull, opaque paint or lacquer.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10generally represents an example of a laminated panel according to theinvention. The center core or layer is preferably made thicker than theother laminae or layers I2 and i3, and is'light-transmitting. Apreferred plastic material for core II is of the class of acrylic resinsor materials, and their polymers and copolymers, methyl methacrylatebeing preferred, although other light-transmitting material, such as,quartz may be employed. The preferably translucent laminae or layers I2,next adjacent to core II is preferably made of the class of cellulosics,such as, for example, cellulose acetate. A preferred plastic materialfor the opaque outer layers I3 is of the class of polyvinyl or vinylresins or materials, their polymers or copolyrners.

Portions of the top outer layer I3 and the next adjacent layer I2 arecut out or penetrated as indicated at I4, so that the light transmittedby suitable light-emitting sources 20 or 20a, inserted in holes oropenings M will illuminate the area Ila upon which may be superimposed adial, scale, or other suitable part to be illuminated, and willilluminate the slit Ila. The internal walls of the holes or openings 2|are kept clear to allow the light to be transmitted through the core II,whereas, other holes or openings I6 and I8, which are adapted to receivethe shafts or pins for suitable switches and other desired devices (notshown) are coated with a paint or lacquer I1, I9, to prevent the lightfrom being transmitted through these openings I6, I8.

Other portions of top outer layer I3, only, are penetrated in thefashion of engraving to provide suitable indicia I5. The openings thusformed as indicated at l extend only through the opaque outer layer I3(Fig. 3) and therefore are covered by the translucent layer I2. Thispresents a sharply defined contrast of the indicia at the front of thepanel, without glare.

The light-emitting means may comprise the parts 2| to 36, inclusive, andsince this type of lighting means is conventional, such as panel lightsmanufactured under Part #A4295, by Grimes Mfg. Co., Urbana, Ohio, it isdeemed unnecessary to describe the same in detail, except to state thatsleeve 3|, insulation 32, and sleeve 33 are cut out as indicated at 31(Fig. 5) leaving two bridges 36. Light will penetrate through cut-out 31into adjacent layers II and I2.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto secure by Letters P Patent is:

1. A panel comprising a layer of transparent material with a nextadjacent layer of translucent material superimposed thereon, and anouter layer of opaque material superimposed over the translucent layer,said outer layer having an opening therethrough covered at the inner endof the opening by the layer of translucent material, said panel havingmeans for admitting light to the transparent layer to transilluminatethe translucent layer at the opening in the opaque layer.

2. A panel comprising a layer of transparent material with a nextadjacent layer of translucent material superimposed thereon, and anouter layer of opaque material superimposed over the translucent layer,said outer layer having an opening therethrough forming indicia in theopaque layer at the front of the panel, said opening extending onlythrough the outer layer of opaque material to the layer of translucentmaterial with the layer of translucent material extending over theopening, said panel having means for admitting light to the transparentlayer to transilluminate the translucent layer at the opening in theopaque layer.

3. A panel comprising a layer of transparent material with a nextadjacent layer of translucent material superimposed 'thereon, and anouter layer of opaque material superimposed over the translucent layer,said outer layer having an opening therethrough forming indicia in theopaque layer at the front of the panel, said opening extending onlythrough the outer layer of opaque material to the layer of translucentmaterial with the layer of translucent material extending over theopening, and means for directing light through the transparent layer totransilluminate the translucent layer at the opening in the opaquelayer.

4. A panel comprising five layers of material, the center layer of whichis transparent, the two next adjacent layers of which are translucentand superimposed directly upon the transparent layer at opposite sidesthereof, and the front and back outer layers of the panel are opaque andsuperimposed directly upon the translucent layers, means formingopenings in the shape of indicia extending through the front opaquelayer of the panel, said openings extending only through the opaquematerial to the layer of translucent material and having the layer oftranslucent material extending continuously over the inner end of theopenings, and means for directing light through the transparent layer tothe translucent layer to transilluminate the latter at the openings inthe opaque layer.

5. A panel comprising a layer of transparent material with a nextadjacent layer of translucent material superimposed directly thereon,and an outer layer of opaque material toward the front of the panelsuperimposed on the translucent layer, said panel having an opening inthe. front thereof deep enough to extend through the opaque layer but ofinsuflicient depth to extend through the translucent layer also, saidpanel having means for admitting light to the transparent layer totransilluminate the translucent layer at the opening in the opaquelayer.

CHARLES N. SHLENKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,739,954 DuPont Dec. 17, 19291,741,683 Dickey Dec. 31, 1929 1,790,531 Bethlem Jan. 27, 1931 1,880,202Hodgkin Oct. 4, 1932 1,966,141 Reiss-Schmidt July 10, 1934 2,128,246Hardesty Aug. 30, 1938 2,496,488 Ohman Feb. '7, 1950

